THERAPY DOGS
Brodie plays an instrumen
tal role in encouraging certain indi
viduals to come out of their shells,
the Wallers said.
“Patients will start talking
to Brodie. Later, the nurse will say
to us, ‘But they haven’t talked in
two weeks,’” Claire Waller said.
As Brodie’s handlers,
the Wallers also underwent certi
fication. They assist a patient care
team that includes doctors, social
workers and nurses. After each vis
it, they write up a report of how a
patient reacted with Brodie.
Of course, the library visits
are more .about fun. According to
the PAWS for People organization,
pet therapy also releases endor
phins that produce a calming effect,
improve cardiovascular health and
even possibly reduce the amount of
medication some people need.
Usually, the lobby of the
library wafts of croissants and tea.
with people greeting each other in
passing. But on dog therapy days,
the crowd tends to stop, drawn in
by the wagging tails.
According to the PAWS for Peo
ple website, pet therapy increases
socialization and encourages com
munication.
The Wallers said they en
joy meeting people during these
therapy sessions.
“Brodie does too. He wears
a little therapy jacket. As soon as we
put that on him, he can hardly wait
to go,” Claire Waller said. “When
it’s time to leave the child develop
ment center, he will lay down in the
hallway and not want to go.”
The Wallers spend just as
much time interacting with every
one they visit as Brodie does.
“See. You’re smiling now.
It’s gotta be okay, right?” Waller
said.